Broom bridle



' Mayl4, 1929. .1. BONANNO 1,712,729

BROOM BRIDL'E Filed May 23, 1928 WIN/WNW 3 14 new 50% Patented May 14, 1929.

UNITED STATES JOSEPH BONANNO, F GRANTWOOD, NEW JERSEY.

BROOM BRIDLE.

Application filed May 23, 1928. Serial No. 279,972.

This invention relates to brooms and more particularly to a bridle intended to be disposed about the broom and constitute a brace which will prevent the broom bristles from being bent out of shape when sweepin One object of the invention is to provide a broom bridle which may be formed principally from scraps of sheet metal remaining when other articles are cut from a sheet of metal and may therefore, be cheaply prod need as it is principally formed from waste material.

Another object of the invention is to provide a broom bridle consisting of companion clamps to straddle the broom from opposite sides thereof and connected by springs which will draw the clamps towards each other into tight binding engagement with the broom.

Another object of the invention is to so connect the springs with the clamps that the clamps may be easily disposed in proper engagement with a broom and adjusted to a desired position upon the head of a broom.

Another object of the invention is to allow the bridle to be firmly held in a set posi tion upon the broom head but permitted to be moved longitudinally thereof from one position to anothe' as the bristles of the broom are worn by use.

Another object of the invention is to provide improved means for releasably connecting certain of the springs with one of the clamps and thereby allow these springs to be released when applying the bridle to a broom and then connected with the clamp in order to serve as resilient means to draw the clamps toward each other.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein Figure 1 is a view in elevation showing the improved bridle applied to a broom;

Fig. 2 is a View similar to Fig. 1 looking at a side of the broom head;

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view through the bridle taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a view of the blank from which the clamps are formed, and

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the upper end portion of one of the clamps.

The bridle constituting the subject-matter of this invention is intended to be applied about the head 1 of a broom and prevent the straws forming the broom head from spreading or breaking when the broom is in use. The bridle includes companion clamps which are indicated in general by the numerals 2 and 3 and connected by springs 4, 5, 6 and 7 so that when the clamps are applied to a broom they will be drawn toward each other into tight binding engagement with the head of the broom.

Each of the clamps is formed of sheet met- :11 and consists of an elongated shank 8 which is curved transversely, as shown in Fig. 3, so that it may fit snugly against the side edge portions of a broom head, as shown in Fig. 1,

and upper and lower arms 9 and 10 which overlap opposed faces of the broom head. By this arrangement the upper and lower p0rtions of the clamps will be U-shaped in cross section and will have straddling engagement with side portions of the broom head when applied thereto. By referring to Fig. 4, it will be seen that each of the clamps consists of a sheet metal blank which may be cut from small pieces of sheet metal constituting waste material when other articles are cut from a large sheet of metal and, therefore, the cost of production will be greatly reduced. A tongue 11 is struck from the shank between the upper arms 9, and this tongue is bent to form a spur 12 which projects inwardly in a vertical plane and is intended to bite into the head of a broom between straws forming the same in order to brace the clamps and prevent them from slipping upwardly upon the broom head. The upper edges of the prongs extend from the clamp at right angles thereto and, therefore, the spurs or prongs may engage beneath a selected one of the binding cords 13 and very effectively hold the clamps against upward sliding movement. Each of the arms 9 and 10. of the clamp 2 is formed with a small opening 14 adjacent its free end but the clamp 3 has one arm 9 and a corresponding arm 10 cut to provide a tongue 15 which when bent outwardly will form a hook 16 which faces away from the free end of the arm. By this arrangement the springs 4 and 6 may have the eyes 17 at their ends loosely but permanently engaged with upper and lower arms of the clamps and the springs 5 and 7 may have their corresponding eyes loosely but permanently connected with upper and lower arms of the clamp 2 and detachably engaged with the hooks 15 of the clamp 3. Therefore, the springs 5 and 7 may assist the springs 4 and 6 to draw the clamps toward each other into tight binding engagen'ient with the broom head but may be easily released from the clamp 3 when'the bridle is to be applied to a broom or removed therefrom.

When the bridle is in use, the springs are released from the hooks'16 and the bridle disposed about the head of the broom and slid downwardly thereon to approximately the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2 or somewhat below the position shown Since the prongs or spurs have sloping lower edges, they may easily move downwardlypast the cordsl'd without cutting them but when they are forced into the head of the broom between straws or bristles forming the same they will 7 engage beneath a cord and prevent the bridle from slipping upwardly out of place. After the bridle has been properly disposed upon the broom head, the free ends of the springs at the front of the broom will be engaged with the hooks 16 and the four springs will then serve very effectively to draw the clamps toward .each other into very tight binding ongagement' with the broom head and the bridle the bridle can be removed and transferred to a new broom.

Having thus described the invention, I claim:

A broom bridle comprising companion clamps adapted to stradle a broom head from opposite sides and each consisting of a shank to extend longitudinally of the broom head and arms projecting from upper and lower ends of the shank to overlap trout and rear faces oi the broom head, a spur being struek from the shank to engage in a broom head, one clamp having its arms formed with openings and the other having its rear arms formed with openings and its front arms (at to define tongues bent outwardly to define hooks extending away from the free ends of the arms, and springs connecting the elamps and serving to draw the clamps into tight binding engagement with a broom head. the springs connecting the rear arms being formed with eyes at their ends engaged in the openings O'i the rear arms of the clamps and the springs connecting the front arms eaeh having an eye at one end engaged in the openings in the front arms of one clamp and an eye at its other end engaged with the hook of a front arm of the other clamp.

In testimony whereof I ailix my sign ature.

JOSEPH BONANNO. |:L.s.] 

